Malabar, FL

Malabar Disc Golf

2.485(based on 20 reviews)
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13 0
Kirbahashi
Experience: 2.7 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Surprisingly Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Tight holes make you bring your "A" game, or play it with your mid range discs (if you are a beginner) & a spotter
-Layout and course instructions are good and fairly easy to follow for most part
-Orange tape on the baskets to show you to the next tee
-Tee 12 & 17 are pretty neat
-A gazebo and a shelter to help you take a break when things get hot
-They do have a port-a-john there
-You can tell a lot of love has gone into this course

Cons:

-This course has drainage issues (part of 17 fairway is UNDER water)
-Not looking and I stepped in muck getting my shoe soaked, that's always fun
-Rarely does this course open up, it stays tight for most of the round
-There are about 3 holes that could be better marked, I think the distance for 10 is off as in shorter than listed?

Other Thoughts:

So I started to finally keep score and this was my first scored round. I like this course and I think I will come back to this more often. I still feel PBR is a better course, but this comes a close second which is why I am confused it does not get the love.

You need a spotter because unless you are a pro, you will be looking for your disc at least 1 or 8x.

I love the shack on 5 and I think the spin o mando on 17 is a hoot. If you are in the area, you gotta play it.
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6 0
epicrat
Experience: 8.5 years 14 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worthy of up to a 20 mile detour 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course was a good but aggravating time for the family on Christmas Day 2018. I've been playing disc golf for a while and was joined by some new players.

Malabar DGC was rather clean and well kept, not much litter to be seen. The locals take care of the course pretty well.

The signage is pretty good, too. It has good "bones" for a successful disc golf course.

The fairways are tight but adequately defined.

Cons:

This course is fairly difficult. I'd be a liar if I said it was family friendly. The fairways are very tight and are absolutely riddled with bushes/trees. Some of the holes get a little repetitive. Also, some are very strangely laid out, almost to the point where you have to walk the hole before throwing.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, it's honestly a decent course for someone who is NOT new to disc golf. We, a group of four, spent a while looking for discs in the tight fairways. We still had a good time, but every family outing is better when you don't spend it wading through bushes.

I do recommend checking out Malabar's DGC if you're in the area. My party drove for about a half hour to play it and we still had a great time.
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6 3
netposer
Experience: 25.9 years 10 played 2 reviews
0.00 star(s)

One of the worst 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 23, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

None

Cons:

Super thick rough. Criss-crossing fairways. You will spend most of your time looking for your disc or helping others look for theirs. I've never skipped so many holes on a course. Was playing by myself and didn't have the time to look for my discs. Helped a couple of more groups look for their discs. Need spotter on most holes.

Other Thoughts:

Seems like the locals take care of the course. It's clean with lots of personal touches. I would avoid this course unless you have a few folks with you so someone can spot. Go play F Burton in Cocoa instead.
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10 0
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 48.8 years 242 played 194 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Repitive Tight Jungle Holes With Curiosities Here And There 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lot of midlength tight heavily junglefied holes set in a seemingly dedicated to disc golf area of the park. Decent concrete tees including one with the self-proclaimed "longest tee pad in the world" crudely scrawled into it. I'll admit that it is the longest tee pad that I have ever seen. The biggest tees that I have ever seen though are probably at Limona by Tampa. They are twice as big as the biggest tee pad here. The tee signs are ok and there are plenty of next tee signs to aid with the somewhat wonky navigation. The course has some great chill spots to take a break and some curious other things pop up on the course. I won't spoil them for you. but they give the course a little extra character.

Cons:

First off, the rough here is ever present and brutal. You must keep a constant eye on your discs, or you will lose them. New players and those of lower skill levels could become frustrated here real quick and lose all of their discs. This is the kind of course where you go into the jungle to find your lost disc, and come out of it with two different ones, but not your own. There are several blind baskets which will add many more steps for first timers trying to figure out where the baskets are.

Other Thoughts:

An interesting course that can become repetitive though with some quirky charm and punishing rough.
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2 0
Mbaldwin601
Experience: 16.2 years 18 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tight but cool 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 20, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A challenge. Tight fairways cut threw palmettos, bring your straight long game. Really neet amenities added by local disc golfers. Benches, huts and a wheel to spin on one hole. Pure disc golf, no one else is out there.

Cons:

Keep it in the fairway or spend sometime searching.
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11 0
projectpat
Experience: 16.1 years 142 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Most Improved! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 20, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Challenging course. Tight wooded lines carved through pine trees and palmettos.
-Decent variety of hole length and shape.
-Good signage. Hand painted tee signs are unique. Plenty of next tee signs where needed.
-Very nice concrete teepads. Big enough for long runups. The "longest tee pad in the world" is pretty cool and adds elevation to two holes.
-Benches on every hole.

Cons:

-The rough is pretty bad. Palmettos line every hole. Definetly worse during summer months. Lost disc factor is high.
-Flooding can occur on several holes.
-Fairways are very close to each other. It could be dangerous if course was crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Lots of work has been done here. It no longer feels like a tacky jungle course. The rough is still there but is not as bad as it once was. Great place to work on accuracy. Just be sure to watch your throws and use spotters if you play with a group. Overall a fun course and great change of pace from other local courses.

UPDATE(1 year)- The good work continues. The longest tee pad has been sured up to prevent erosion. Please use the stairs.
UPDATE(3 years)- Year after year Malabar gets better. The group here is very dedicated to improving the course. New pin positions have recently been added.
UPDATE(5 years)- The good work still continues. The added pin positions have mostly been shorter than the originals making the course play somewhat easier. But... DISCLAIMER: This course is not and never will be beginner friendly. Also playing here solo is a bad idea.
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5 0
craigd
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 179 played 118 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Malabar Disc Golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well my visit to the Malabar Disc Golf Course netted a fun round. It's packed into small park but it still managed to stretch itself out enough to incorporate a nice 18 hole course. The 5641-foot par 54 course plays through thick palm scrubs and tall pines. There is lots of wildlife with a good chance of seeing some big turtles during your round.

Given the available land, the designers did a good job turning a bland area into a good course. While there are no elevation changes to speak of, there are other design elements to keep it interesting. The larger palm/pine trees scattered throughout the park dictate the design as thoughtful basket placements fine-tune the holes. A reasonable variation of hole lengths pepper the course while a mix of turning shots keep it challenging. Two 9 hole loops bring you right back to the front of the course, which is always appreciated, especially if you want to run to your car for water or supplies half way through the round.

I loved the character of the course. There is just that feeling you get when a club takes ownership of a course and they add those special touches. Nothing has a particular professional feel to it but somehow you will hardly notice. A kiosk near the parking lot greets you while tee signs and next tee signs point the way. Even some unique tribal masks adorn the trees along with some totem poles in certain areas lending themselves to the overall vibe of the course. A really long elevated tee pad, which may remind you of a runway, is shared by holes twelve and seventeen and is a unique feature. On seventeen's side of the pad, you'll notice a "Spin O Mando" where you spin a wheel to discover which side of the split fairway you'll be required to play.

Cons:

Losing a disc or at least spending a lot of time searching is likely out here at some point, especially if playing solo.

The course is nasty outside the fairways. First timers might struggle. From the tee, it is hard to see the rough. You can throw and then walk up and see that you're unintentionally in a bad spot to locate your disc. Of course, that translates into a bad spot to throw your next shot. Overall, I think the thick shule does a disservice and takes away from the potential fun on the course.

Other Thoughts:

The course is worth the stop if you're in the area. If I play it again, I would prefer the play with a group to help one another look for discs.

There is a park across the street with bathrooms if needed. It also has other recreational activities for folks in your group (traveling families, etc.) who may not be interested in disc golf.
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8 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Malabar was a lot tougher than I expected. Tight fairways with thick shule in abundance. Hit the lines here or be punished. I'm guessing that there are local routes, and ways to exploit the course if you know it well, since many of the obstacles are low brush, but playing the fairways as they are leads to a varied bunch of interesting lines. The best of them is probably 17. That tee is on a raised mound(12 shares the mound, but points in the other direction.) and the thrower is confronted with a choice of two paths: mirror images of each other, one goes left and the other right, but they both feature a narrow fairway and a wicked curve.

It's a strange layout, with multiple points where tees need to be walked by. I can definitely see where earlier reviewers could be confused. Without signs, this course would be a nightmare to navigate. However, the navigation aids are fantastic. Not only are you pointed in the right direction from the basket but there are many signs along the way. At every where confusion is possible, a sign is there. With all the winding around the paths between holes make, it's a really fun course to follow. I wonder how it plays when it's crowded though. I can't tell if it would be enhanced by all the times you walk past tees or if there would too much interference. For some reason I want to say it's a course that plays better in a large group but it's definitely a fun one either way.

Cons:

Until you are familiar with the course and the landing zones, there will be some rough times. You will be digging through some pretty thick stuff for your discs. Unless you habitually scout, there will be places where you read the sign, see the fairway in front of you, throw a shot that curves nicely around the visible shule and to where you think you want to land for a run at a birdie, but upon walking to your disc, find that there is scrub where you thought there would be open field. Part of that is due to the tee signs, which are very vague but part of that is the nature of this type of course.

It's also one of those courses that has a limited range of abilities that it appeals to. Great players will be bored, since they will be able to go over the top of everything and there isn't much distance to make it challenging. Big sky hyzers will help you score well here, but they won't really be fun. Newer players will be frustrated quickly with the technical fairways and constantly putting discs into nasty stuff. Really, you can throw in to the scrub twenty feet in front of you and be left scratching your head, wondering how your disc disappeared. It's really only those in-between players that will and can play the lines as intended that will enjoy this course.

Other Thoughts:

I saw six tortoises. That's a course record for me.
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4 3
jungolungo
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

hard but cool course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course. All the work that was put into the place really shows. Lots of extras here; covered benches, concrete tee pads (one is "the longest tee pad on the planet"), and the brilliant "spin-o-mando" on 17. Also the grass was fresh cut.

Cons:

Not for amateurs. Lots of thick brush to loose discs in. Some of the baskets were a bit confusing since there were a few in view at times.

Other Thoughts:

All thing considered I loved the course and would play again and again. Only reason I didn't rate it better is because the brush is a bit too thick. Don't forget to check the time on hole 5 ;)
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2 2
ovar
Experience: 20.8 years 86 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Much better than 2 stars! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice cement tee pads - singnage on every hole - Varied hole lengths - Orange tape on baskets points to next hole - good mix of hyzer,straight,anhyzer - nice score cards with maps on them - WELL maintained by locals who put a lot of love into this place - a wheel you spin on whole 17 to decide what side of the mando you will throw, FUN!

Cons:

Tightly laid out - criss crossing layout (watch out if crowded - no elevation change.

Other Thoughts:

I spoke with some great locals and this course has come a long ways. It may have started out as a 1 or 2 star course but this is now a solid 3 star course. Much effort has been put into the maintenance and improvement of this course. I feel the admin should consider throwing out older reviews as they do not reflect the current state of the courese. A must play if in the area.
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1 3
Zigzaggler
Experience: 42 played 14 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not bad ... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

It is a good layout for the amount of land the park is built on.( and it is the only thing on the property) The course is typical Florida DG , lots of palmettos and lots of time spent looking for plastic if you are throwing solo...hahaha. The course is fun and poses a challenge, and for the lack of disc golf in the area it is not bad.

Cons:

Not sure if any cons can be made due to the amount of parks in the area (3). It does get a bit crowded at times and the palmettos are a little out of control, but all in all it is descent golf.
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3 1
21111
Experience: 26.8 years 111 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Young course.... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 19, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

18 holes on 8 acres....don't expect to much. A fun play on the short side...lots of tight shoots and corridors

Accuracy is a must or your in for a long day
Errant shots have a high probability of being lost.

Overall nice use of the mandos creating a good flow. A little more land and it could be a real gem. . .

Cons:

New tee signs maybe? A tad confusing first time through...a few different baskets visible most of the time.

Other Thoughts:

The course seems to improve every time im there. all pads are now concrete as well.

I think the rating should be a little higher then whats been given so far. Alot of work has gone into making this course playable
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1 0
Rufio601
Experience: 14.8 years 5 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

i have mixed feelings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

1.well i love how off the wall this course is. no waiting to tee off and its away from the road. i was the only person playing the course.
2. this course deffinitly requires a fairly skilled player the gaps you need to hit are very small and you only have certain ways to go.
3. very difficulty pin placements i absolutely love the challendge of this course.

Cons:

1. needs to be re-groomed for sure the course in deffinitly on the poor side of being kept up.
2. needs to have better signs for distance and routes to take. as well as better mapping to the next hole.
3. only a couple pads are concrete the rest are soft dirt and some carpet.

Other Thoughts:

i think this course was a very fun course to play and glad i did. just needs to be better kept. i just moved here to sebastian and have bin playing for 2 and a half years. if i could get in contact with some more ppl that live this course and would like to help me rebiuld this course it would be appreciated thanks yall. message me if would like to help
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3 0
stsren
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.2 years 38 played 22 reviews
2.00 star(s)

The rules of the Jungle apply... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 9, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Good variety of distances (200' to 400'+)
2. Good challenge for variety of skill levels
3. Good variety of shots required to score well (FH, BH, Turnover, Hammer/Thumber, Sweeping Hyzer / Anhyzer)
4. Good use of limited changes in elevation
5. Multiple excellent concrete tee pads
6. Adequate signage with some Next Tee signs
7. Scorecards available at course bulletin board with accurate distances and course map
8. Adequate (and interesting) seating along the course
9. Good [and even fun (hole 17)] use of Mandos

Cons:

1. No on-site restroom facilities (and the bathrooms at the park across the road were closed, too!)
2. Fairways / holes are too close together and put players at risk if there are multiple groups
3. Confusing layout for first timer (even with maps and Next Tee signs it took some time to find some tee boxes)
4. Heavy brush / foliage makes for some difficulty in finding discs, especially on some of the longer holes
5. Tee signs do not have accurate distances
6. Some tee boxes are dirt (and hollowed out) making for some potentially dangerous throws
7. Inadequate number of trash receptacles
8. Rusty barbed wire fencing on ground on hole 17 right side of right fairway

Other Thoughts:

This was my first time playing Malabar's only disc golf course, and overall I found the course to be a reasonable representation of what a disc golf course should be... I found the course to be fairly technical, with multiple narrow fairways and a few holes where flight paths to the basket were very challenging (or required quite a bit of luck to get up there in 1). The brush and bushes were pretty thick in many areas, but with careful attention when teeing off you should be okay! I enjoyed the challenge and the variety of distances, along with some clever use of the limited changes in elevation. I felt the course was fairly balanced for right handed and left handed players (which probably means it favors righties!) ;-). I was surprised to find that many of the tee boxes were of a very nice concrete variety! Keep pouring those up, guys (especially on #10 and #17)... When I played, there were 2 other groups on the course (in addition to my 4 person and 2 dog group), and we found the layout to be pretty crowded and potentially dangerous (especially for people who don't know where they're going and may wander across another hole's fairway), so be wary! In my mind, if the remainder of the tee boxes are poured up and the Tee signs are updated to reflect the current distances, the course would move on up to "Good." So if you're in the area and have the itch to play a fairly long technical course (with bright discs or a spotter), hit this one up. It's a nice complement to Wickham park, which is more wide-open.
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5 0
Jesterian
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Finesse is Key 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Course requires pin point accuracy and fairway management.
-Secluded, not part of a larger park.
-Close to a hospital, convenience store.
-Bathrooms across the street.
-Plenty of wild life ranging from deer to gopher tortoises.
-Friendly locals
-Wide variety of shots and shot possibilities on the various holes. There are righty and lefty holes, quite a few straight shots, and holes with two or more routes.
-Signature double raised tee pad with a bench gives you some elevation to catch a breeze on hot days.
-Many "chill" spots with seating and shade.

Cons:

-Course layout leaves something to be desired. There is tape on the bottom of each basket pointing to the next tee pad, which makes it easy to navigate. However there is quite a bit of cutting back to get to the next hole. This might be expected when shoving 18 holes onto 9 acres.
-On two edges of the course there is very thick brush that may swallow a disc if you are not careful to keep an eye on it, or better yet keep it on the fairway. On another edge there are neighbors yards that you will need permission to retrieve a disc out of.
-Some parts of the brush within the course are also still quite thick.
-Because of how tight the course is there are quite a few mandos. I guess this may not be such a negative except that it cuts off a few routes on some holes.

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course, and the only course in Palm Bay thus far. It was in its infancy about 5 years ago when I began disc golfing and has seen some amazing improvement in that time. While the course is challenging today, it was an absolute jungle when it was first put in and ate discs like crazy. Thanks to the help of various volunteers it is well groomed and has been scaled back in difficulty. It is still noticeably tougher than nearby Wickham Park in Melbourne as going off any of the fairways can absolutely wreck your game. They are also very complimentary as Wickham is more of a wide open, longer park, and this is a finesse course.

Don't let the other reviews confuse you as to whether this course is worth a visit. It is a gem and the closest parks that surpass it would be Barnett and Turkey Lake, all the way in Orlando.

*update* So it's been a few years and the course has only gotten better. The bushes are a little better cleared out courtesy of hard working locals. There are pads on every hole. After playing many courses across the country, I still come back here and enjoy my rounds. Why? Because this course calls for a wide variety of shots on tight fairways. It makes you a better player, every time you play it. It still eats more plastic than your standard course, but you can't help but love playing it.
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7 0
Tkonnova
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

My local course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 15, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* Quiet and never busy
* Heavy woods/palmetto pushing accuracy and variety of throws.
* Hospital right down the road, and park across street with restrooms.
* Very natural, raw, and peacefull

Cons:

* Not very polished, occasionally mowed
* Those palmettos will tear your legs up on lost discs (thankfully the hospital is right down the road lol)
* Difficult to learn course layout (until you play many times)

Other Thoughts:

This is my local course, and i wouldn't have it any less wooded or more popular. You may see 1 other person golfing at any time, and its so wooded it feels like a walk in the forest.
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1 5
DarrenFL
Experience: 15.8 years 6 played 6 reviews
0.50 star(s)

bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 5, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

its tough and never crowded.

Cons:

a lotttt of trees! A lot of times i found myself shooting for the wrong basket because when teeing off there will be 2 baskets right next to each other. its a very confusing course to play.

Other Thoughts:

gave it its fair chances of tries and wouldn't want to play again
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9 2
Ishulebest
Experience: 23.2 years 25 played 3 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Bad Design 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 10, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A player must throw with pin point accuracy. The only use for the land is the course, no other park users wandering in the fairways.

Cons:

Course is too long for the land it sits on. This causes alot of confusion as to which pin your are actually throwing to.I think it was from tee pad 10, I could see 3 baskets relatively close to each other. Hole 12(I think) and 17 tee pads share the same man made elevated hill, going in opposite directions. Alot of thick brush throughout the course to lose discs.

Other Thoughts:

Re-design and shorten up some holes would be the best thing for this course. Can't have any trny. play, or even weekly events at this cousre unless you limit it to 20 people, because any more than that, would cause massive back ups. I still can't make sense of two tee pads on the same small hill, a terrible concept, which really defines how bad this course design is. This by far is the worst course I have ever played. You'll have more fun slicing your legs up with a razor blade and wading through a pool of rubbing alcohol.
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10 0
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
2.00 star(s)

avoid in rain 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great landscape of pine and palmetto forest, scenic with lots of wildlife
-It has tee signs, maps were available in a ziplock bag and online
-Challenging, though perhaps too much for a beginner and with no alt. short tees

Cons:

-The design could be much better
-Packed in too tight, during an event it would cause delays and interference on several holes
-Easy to lose plastic in thick, sharp palmettos- spotter and bright discs needed

Other Thoughts:

It had rained overnight, I don't know how much, and the fairways had so much casual water I had to walk around it on most holes, and get sticks to fish discs out of deep water, even under several baskets.
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6 2
theGryphon
Experience: 15.6 years 7 played 3 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Difficult but nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 2, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Not usually busy.

Cons:

Many.

Other Thoughts:

I've been playing this course for over a year now. It was improving. I was even volunteering several hours a month to improvements and upkeep. However it now looks like a bad miniature golf course. There are many things on the course that don't belong there. I will no longer be playing here and will go play at a course south of me.
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